Potting into a blind pocket

[misspentoldage]

Any good tips for potting a ball (eg the black) into a blind pocket? (I know I should be playing the white better the shot before to avoid this position, but we've all been there). Sometimes I try lining up where the ball needs to be hit by first shaping up as if to pot it directly with my cue, but it's quite difficult to keep that in your head when you move round to your position for the shot. Ideas welcome.

[nrage]

It's a tricky shot to be sure. I find the back of ball spot, not by shaping up as if to pot it, but sometimes by coming round and looking from ball to pocket, fixing my eyes on the spot and walking round behind the white until I believe I am standing on the line from white to hit the back of ball spot. So, once I have the spot, and the line of aim I walk in as normal, eyes, feathers and make sure I am really focused on hitting the back of ball spot at the point of delivery. If I get down and it looks all wrong, I get back up and start again.

[itsnoteasy]

Misspent, the old drill of potting blacks off the spot is a very good routine to do , every time i go(if i dont get distracted by my many other faults) i have 10 mins doing this it really drives the potting angle of the black into the brain.

[alabadi]

yeah i would agree, keep practicing shots when you are low on the black, the more u practice the easier it would be.

i myself use arc coverage, so when practicing i look at the back of the ball standing in directly in line with black and pocket, once i have selected the spot i walk behind the white and looking at the spot i check the arc of the black i need the white to cover.

i am usually good at these types of shot, my problem is when i am high i always undercut them.

i now spend half an hour at least each time i solo practicing blacks off the spot from different angles

[armstm]

for cut back blacks with the white on the green side of the table potting to yellow side, experiment standing further to your left.

you may see the potting angle better and realise you weren't quite standing on the line of aim.

[vmax4steve]

I tend to play them with running side so I have to aim thicker than needed which makes it easier to see the contact point on the object ball. Running side, aim for the far jaw when playing with or along the nap, aim for middle of pocket when playing against the nap.
Of course this compromises your positional play to a small degree (depending on the power used), but hey, if you're low on a cut back pot you're out of position anyway and the main thing is to pot it.
Don't crucify me saying I'm making the pot more difficult by playing it with side, it works and it's not so difficult to simply aim other than the middle of the pocket. Just remember to keep your eyes on the point of contact on the object ball you're aiming for rather than the point of contact the cue ball will actually make.

[Sidd]

One of my weakness as well. While in a match if i come up against this situation I would walk up, as Nrage mentioned as well, and stand behind the black and check its line through to the pocket and try to keep that spot in mind, then come back and keeping that point in mind i determine the line and then get down.

I have noticed one thing here: if I am not in form I would miss it but if I am playing well in a generally better or proper form chances are that I will pot it and I do. Its a gut feeling I say.

However, most important is to practice this shot ... as said above.. the more you practice the easier it keeps becoming.